ITD’s Communications staff collected a dozen public relations awards Saturday (April 17) at the annual Idaho Press Clubs ceremony in Boise. That represents the most awards ITD has received from the Press Club in nearly a decade and was twice the number earned by any other organization in the public relations division.

Last year ITD received six awards.

Staff members received three first-place awards, six second places and a third. The Communications Office also won a first and a second in collaboration with consultants.

June Sparks was the big winner, taking a first for her submission of three news releases, and second places in Brand Management for “ITD in Motion” videos, along with Jeff Stratten; and Best Use of Social Media. She also shared a first place in Media Campaign with colleague Reed Hollinshead and Darla Christiansen of the Langdon Group; first place in Media Kit with Hollinshead and second in Media Kit with Bryant Kuechle and Stephanie Bennett of the Langdon Group. Sparks also shared third in Media Campaign with colleague Steve Grant.

Christiansen, Bennett and Kuechle are former members of ITD’s Communications staff.

Mel Coulter captured the top two awards in Feature Writing. He took first with a Transporter story on a band formed by district engineers Ed Bala and Dave Jones, and second place for a feature on ITD employee Kacie McDonald who participates in Boise State University on-field football ceremonies while riding her horse.

Coulter also picked up a second place for publication of the Transporter in the Newsletter - Internal category.

Jeff Stratten, manager of the Communications Office, received a second place in Public Service Campaign for a bicycle safety video produced by Dave Tuttle and Mark Hall; and second place for ITD’s Accountability Web site in the Website – Special Purpose category.

Hollinshead, who is the unofficial guardian of the awards case, indicates the Communications Office has received 68 Idaho Press Club awards in the past decade. He also reports that ITD has earned 182 various state, regional and national awards dating to 1966.